Home
cover of episode Danielle Deadwyler on August Wilson and Denzel Washington

Danielle Deadwyler on August Wilson and Denzel Washington

2024/11/19
logo of podcast The New Yorker Radio Hour

The New Yorker Radio Hour

Key Insights

Why did Denzel Washington commit to adapting all ten of August Wilson's Century Cycle plays?

Washington aims to preserve and share Wilson's profound exploration of Black life in America through film.

What themes are central to 'The Piano Lesson'?

The play delves into inheritance, history, and the conflict between maintaining tradition and seeking new opportunities.

How does Danielle Deadwyler interpret the piano in 'The Piano Lesson'?

She sees it as a living, breathing altar and a portal that represents the family's history and identity.

What role does Zora Neale Hurston play in Danielle Deadwyler's interpretation of Bernice?

Hurston serves as an inspiration for Bernice, embodying a bold, free spirit that Bernice aspires to.

How does Danielle Deadwyler describe the passing of history in Black communities?

History is passed orally, through music, movement, work, and daily practices, often subconsciously.

What is Danielle Deadwyler's impression of the Washington family's relationship to art?

She views them as a collective spirit, continuously making art and passing on histories through their work and interactions.

How does 'The Piano Lesson' reflect on inheritance and the work of prior generations?

The film explores inheriting not just physical objects but also the lives and histories of ancestors, and the ongoing impact of their creations.

Chapters

Bernice is a widow and mother in the Charles family, central to the conflict over the family piano. She is resistant to selling the piano, seeing it as a representation of her family's identity and history.
  • Bernice is a widow and mother to young Maritha.
  • She is awakened by her brother Boy Willie, who wants to sell the piano.
  • Bernice views the piano as a representation of her family's identity and history.

Shownotes Transcript

Danielle Deadwyler, who first grabbed the spotlight for her performance as Emmett Till’s mother in the film “Till,” stars in a new film called “The Piano Lesson”—one of August Wilson’s Century Cycle plays about Black life in Pittsburgh. Denzel Washington has committed to adapting and producing all ten of Wilson’s Century Cycle plays; “The Piano Lesson” is directed by his son Malcolm, and his other son John David co-stars. Deadwyler plays Berniece, a widow who has kept the family piano after her migration north to Pittsburgh; her brother, who remained in Mississippi, wants to sell it to buy a plot of land. Themes of inheritance and history are central to the siblings’ conflict. “Histories are passed as we keep doing things together . . . through struggle, through joy, through lovemaking, through challenge,” Deadwyler explained to the *New Yorker’s *Doreen St. Félix). “The Piano Lesson” is playing in select theatres, and will be available on Netflix starting November 22nd.